Sanford Speaks Out is the latest blog sensation written, edited and produced by Sanford D. Horn, a writer and educator. Sanford will write about issues of the day covering a myriad subjects: politics, education, culture, sports, religion and even food.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

9-11's Kindergartners Vote for President

9-11’s Kindergartners Vote for President

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

September 8, 2016

On that fateful day 15 years ago, while President George
W. Bush was reading the short story, The
Pet Goat to a class of second graders at the Emma E. Booker Elementary
School in Sarasota, Florida, we all remember vividly what we were doing when
the peaceful calm serenity of that bright sunny Tuesday morning was infiltrated
by terror.

I was at home in Virginia completing my news articles for
that week’s local newspaper for which I was a journalist. Sitting at my
computer, as I am today, no longer in Virginia, yet the memories are as clear
as though the air had been permeated with evil today, not 15 years ago. While
putting the finishing touches on my assignments, Fox News on television in the
background as per usual, the first report came in.

-8:46
AM: American Airlines Flight #11 crashes into the North Tower (1 WTC) at the
World Trade Center, New York City – followed by

-9:03
AM: United Airlines Flight #175 crashes into the South Tower (2 WTC) at the
World Trade Center, New York City

-9:37
AM: American Airlines Flight #77 crashes into the western side of the Pentagon,
Arlington, Virginia

These heinous, unforgivable terrorist attacks were
perpetrated by radical Muslim extremists who skyjacked the planes – of that
there is no doubt.

While I have attempted, over the years, to avoid turning
my 9-11 columns into political pabulum, this year there is too much as at stake
on November 8 as we cast our next vote for president. Without hyperbole, I
truly believe this election is the most important to the nation since 1860 when
Abraham Lincoln handily defeated a triumvirate of opponents, John Bell, John
Breckinridge, and Stephen Douglas.

In 1860 the United States was a nation divided over the
issue of slavery and states’ rights, which led to a country illegally split
into two. This year, 156 years later, this nation is once again divided –
divided by a generation of entitled, politically correct, sniveling whiners who
think the world is their oyster, so long as government pick up the tab. These
are people brainwashed by a liberal public education system that does not
support school choice who believe socialism is the answer, not capitalism. Let
these poorly educated neophytes spend some time in Venezuela to see how real
socialism is faring. Extreme shortages of food, toilet paper, and jobs have a
nation in dire straits because of a totalitarian dictator attempting to cut his
country off from the world. Any worse and Venezuela becomes Cuba or North
Korea. Is this the socialism for which Generation Pinhead is clamoring?

When the 9-11 kindergartners, now 20-21 years of age,
take to the polls this November, they will be casting their first vote for president.

This current crop of first time voters need be reminded
of Ronald Reagan’s clarion call, where he prophetically warned the following:

“Freedom
is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the
bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend
our sunset years telling our children
and our children’s children what is was once like in the United States where men were free.”

The PC and thought police already run the public schools
as well as the college and university campuses. Free speech zones really mean
speech is limited to only certain areas as was demonstrated at Clemson University
when barring a student from praying in public. The University of Houston is
another prime example of the squelching of the First Amendment. (http://sanfordspeaksout.blogspot.com/2016/09/cougars-cage-free-speech-at-uh.html)

Freedom is the ability to speak one’s mind – verbally, in
writing, but without fear of recriminations or a possible job loss. One does
not have the right to not be insulted or presented with uncomfortable issues.
Practically anything someone says or writes is bound to upset or offend
someone. This country must return to the days when “I do not agree with what
you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it,” meant
something. Instead, there are shrinking violets taking cover in the nearest
campus safe space or seeking their next trigger warning because their precious
sensibilities can’t handle disagreeable thoughts or statements.

That is not how the real world works. For those who
complain that Donald Trump is mean or harsh sounding in his speech, just
remember we are not voting for Miss Congeniality, but instead, the leader of
the free world. A leader who will have to face off with terrorists and is not
afraid to identify the enemy for what they are – radical Islamist extremists –
the same radicals who murdered nearly 3,000 on that fateful day 15 years ago.
Trump will stand up to the terrorists, not cow-tow to them by paying ransom for
kidnapped Americans who are in greater danger during the Obama administration
than they were under the Bush administration.

For all his pitfalls and foibles, George W. Bush kept
this nation safe following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Sadly,
the same cannot be said of the current administration. Instead, the United
States has a weak-kneed so-called leader who calls what he does, leading from behind.
That is not actually leading, Mr. Obama. Myriad terrorist attacks on and away
from American soil have darkened far too many days because our enemies don’t
fear the United States and our allies are unable to rely upon us. Exhibit
Boston, Chattanooga, Dallas, Fort Hood (II), Orlando, San Bernardino at home;
and Brussels, Istanbul, Munich, Nice, Normandy, Paris globally.

Hillary Clinton, the Democrats standard bearer who is
unable to even utter the name of the enemy, promises to bring much of the same.
She has spent decades in public life congenitally lying to the American people
and lying under oath regarding her ability to uphold national security. “You
clearly corrupted our national security,” said one Navy veteran to Clinton
during an event hosted by Matt Lauer.

This September 11 while we mourn the past, and rightfully
so – take time to watch the reading of the names from New York City – lest we
forget the men and women who were needlessly slaughtered – civilians as well as
the brave first responders, let’s also look toward the future with an eye to
the past. Take notice of the new World Trade Center and what it represents –
that Americans and America may get knocked to the canvas, but we should never
be counted out. We will rise up stronger, smarter, and with the right
leadership make America great again.

Yes, that is the slogan of one of the candidates for
president, but it is also a nod to the future and not a return to the past. A
future where the United States regains its rightful place in the world – and yes,
it is rightful when the US bails out country after country for their troubles,
be they geo-political or weather related, such as earthquakes and tsunamis. It
is rightful when the United States sets the standard regarding the rights of
women, minorities, people of various lifestyles and religions. Is the United
States perfect? Certainly not. Yet people are risking their very existence to
live in this country – even illegally – which is being addressed thanks to the
same aforementioned candidate.

1 comment:

For the other 3 people who will read this: I don't disagree with the premise that this is an important election. Kindergarteners won't elect Trump, because they were taught basic human decency, 9/11 happened before Obama was president - it appears we are safer now. Terrorist attacks around the world have always taken place. Just because they happened in countries where everyone looks like a terrorist to trump, doesn't mean that they don't count. As an educator who cares about freedom of opinion and expression and at least one religion - I assume, how can you ignore the offensive, disrespectful, ignorant and heartfelt statements that trump makes when he's not on a prompter or script and at the same time complain about kaepernick making use of his rights. Social capitalism is more than an experiment, and hardly invites a dictatorship, particularly when the checks and balances that exist are not treated the way Trump would treat them, (discard judicial orders if made by a judge whose parents immigrated) if president. Social capitalism embodies the Vincentian principles of helping those in need and calls on the government to provide a basic safety net for those less fortunate in this country. Germany and many other developed nations have practiced this for many years and I have yet to see the end times you described in your article break out there. When it comes to women's rights, minority's rights and those of people with other religions or "lifestyles" - I assume you speak of lesbians, gays, bi and transgender people - the US has not set any standards, and is actually lagging behind many developed nations. It almost sounds like you support gay marriage - good for you! But gay marriage has been legal in various European nations for years. Women have much longer government mandated paid maternity leave in many of those countries and fathers get paternity leave in some. Also when the US bails out people or countries in need it does so with taxpayer money. As someone who is paying taxes, I can tell you that I don't expect people I helped rebuild their modest shelters after an earthquake to grovel and agree with me that the US is the rightful number one or somehow is better than any of the other nations who donated to these efforts. Rather I am happy that my donation or some of my taxes were used for something that made a difference in someone else's life. Finally even if built, the wall would not "solve" anything, most of this countries illegal immigrants had legal status at some point and simply stayed. Any program to actively wrangle illegals is impossible to finance, and quite frankly a waste of time and money, not to mention the disruption caused to industry. To answer your question, I want my children to not judge, be afraid of or distrust others based on their appearance, origin, religion, gender or "lifestyle". I want them to be treated in the same way and to be who they are. I want them to see leaders who don't use racist or sexist stereotypes to pander to, by then, a hopefully smaller segment of the population. Hillary need not be defended here. With all her faults, at least she will be a role model to millions of girls who wouldn't have thought about striving for leadership positions because of the male dominated environment they may have come from. The repeated statements which show trumps inability to learn, or grasp reality on the most important issues alone, eliminate him as choice to me. He has no idea about basic principles of game theory and how it relates to first use and nuclear deterrence. The kindergartners have learned a lot these past 15 years and it will be enough to recognize that flinging insults, reacting impulsively and making rash judgements in complex situations without any facts or having consulted actual experts on the issue is not a quality in a leader we would elect into the highest office. If I, as a taxpayer, have paid for any part of that education, I would be delighted. No groveling required...